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From the Baltimore Jewish Life: A special event in the history of Baltimore. Sunday, February 3, 2013. If you live in Baltimore or are a fan of Baltimore, this was the event. The large enclosed arena … filled with young and old … pulsating with energy … What an amazing sight! You know exactly what I mean.

Of course it was the Special Community Avos U’Banim Learning Program which started at 7:15 PM and filled Kehilas Kol Torah on Fallstaff Road beyond description with some 900 fathers and sons.

The Program was the brainchild of our community’s Mechanchim. How do we emphasize to our children that while playing sports is a healthy pastime and recreational outlet, the hype and single minded focus all around us on the Super Bowl and its players and the preparations leading up to the game are not how Torah committed families spend their time and energy? With the enthusiastic encouragement and help of our community’s Rabbonim, this special program was quickly arranged. It was announced to the children in school on Friday morning, posted on BaltimoreJewishLife.com and in the shuls over Shabbos. Sponsors were quickly lined up, each of whom responded enthusiastically. The Avos U’Bonim leaders were not sure how many prizes and treats to buy, but they prepared for a few hundred children.

And then they started coming. And coming. By 7:10, there were no parking spaces in Kol Torah’s substantial parking lot or on Fallstaff stretching from Clarks Lane to Willow Glen. By 7:20 there were no seats left in the Shul’s main Bais Medrash or Ezras Nashim. All the side rooms were filled to capacity, as well. At about 7:55 there was a buzz in the room as the Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Aharon Feldman,shlita, entered. He admitted that he was overwhelmed by the sight when he walked in and could not get over the beauty of seeing so many children learning with their rebbeim and fathers.

There are certain moments when you can’t help but feel proud to be part of this special community. Standing in line at Millford Mill Metro Station last August 1, watching some 600 people boarding the buses for the 12th Siyum HaShas of Daf Yomi was one such moment. Watching the volunteers load the trucks with thousands of pounds of donated clothing outside Rabbi Eichenstein’s shul on that first Motzoei Shabbos following Hurricane Sandy to send to Far Rockaway, or watching bus loads of volunteers led by Rabbi Hauer leaving from Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion in the wee hours of the morning to spend a day of back breaking work helping resident of Sea Gate dig out from the massive destruction of the storm, were more such moments. And tonight, watching hundreds of children and their fathers learning with joy was, again, another such moment.

How did this happen? Whether or not sports fans, and whether or not they were planning to follow the game, why would fathers and sons give up some of their Sunday evening to come learn together with hundreds of others? Because, as the Rosh Yeshiva noted in his special words of chizuk to the children, the Kol Yaakov, the voice of children learning Torah, is the only counterforce in the world to the Y’dei Esav, the hands of Esav. Whatever the hands of Esav are doing, it is our responsibility to raise the Voice of Yaakov in Torah. And what a loud voice it was!

Nobody anticipated the turnout. The prizes were amazing. Children who did not receive their prizes filled out a rain check sheet and will receive their prizes later this week.

The light of Torah was lit bright in Baltimore Sunday night. Even as the power failed at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans and the Super Bowl was plunged into darkness, ולכל בני ישראל היה אור במושבתם, for all the Bnai Yisroel there was light in their dwellings. The light of our children’s Torah learning lit up the dark and warmed the cold night. Whichever NFL team leaves the night in victory, our team has already been victorious. Our team won. The Baltimore Torah Community and Klal Yisroel won tonight! May we merit this light and warmth always.

Due to the unexpected turnout, there is a need for more sponsors. If you are interested in the zchus of sponsoring this unprecedented event, send an email to Yissachar Shapiro -Ishapiro@prepaidxperts.com or call Aryeh Rosen at 410-262-9067.

Kol Hakavod!
Mi Ke’amcha Yisroel!!!
Imagine if the Kehillos in California would have done the same thing…

3. Comment from gevaldigTime February 4, 2013 at 4:52 PM

This is really amazing! I wish they did something like this for the flatbush community. A rebbi in a local yeshiva wanted to make a program for the boys in his yeshiva and the menahel talked him out of it. However, programs are needed in all cpmmunities, for both the children and the adults.

4. Comment from Baltimore FanTime February 4, 2013 at 5:12 PM

WOW!!! This makes me so proud!!!

5. Comment from amerikanerTime February 4, 2013 at 5:37 PM

What a Kiddush Hashem

6. Comment from AnonymousTime February 4, 2013 at 5:41 PM

What a kiddush hashem…………..

7. Comment from NormalTime February 4, 2013 at 5:57 PM

Baltimore used to be called the Yerushalayim D’Amerika…. I guess last night it earned back some of that glory. You are a shining example and an inspiration to us all!!!

8. Comment from YesTime February 4, 2013 at 6:14 PM

B”H for the Avos U’Banim program!
Beautiful Kiddush Hashem!
THIS is how a Yid should be spending his time!

9. Comment from AnonymousTime February 4, 2013 at 6:33 PM

This is so beautiful. It braught tears to my eyes!

May all the attendees, sponsers and organizers be blessed by Hashem many times over.

—-

How about arrainging one about four Sundays a year (mid winter vac….), in addition to Motzei Shabbos?

10. Comment from FiloghTime February 4, 2013 at 6:51 PM

Ok, great. Move on.

11. Comment from tzadikTime February 4, 2013 at 11:01 PM

AISHRIECEM AISHRIECEM YISROEL

WONDERING WHY I AM THE FIRST TO GIVE A COMMENT

I GUESS EVREYBODY ELSE IS UNFORTUNALY BUSY WATCHING/DISCUSTING THE SUPERPOWL AND DONT CARE ABOUT THESE LECHTIKA KINDERLICHT

12. Comment from ClarifierTime February 5, 2013 at 6:21 AM

To #11: your claim to fame isn’t being #1 commentator but ratter in being the left the cap lock button on person.

13. Comment from respestTime February 5, 2013 at 6:56 AM

Thers no yerushalaim de amerika and not yerushalaim de eurpe. Thers only one Yerushalaim.

14. Comment from Cal RipkinTime February 5, 2013 at 8:22 AM

This was a tikun for the fathers.

15. Comment from baltimoreTime February 5, 2013 at 8:53 AM

#7 baltimore never lost that title. the people living here are honest hard working bnai torah with priorities in the right place this has never changed..

16. Comment from cool masmidTime February 5, 2013 at 9:24 AM

Such a magnificent Kiddush H-shem. This article made my day. Can one imagine what a nachas ruach this brought to the RSO. And if that is our ‘tafkid’ in this world shouldn’t we be beaming with pride?

17. Comment from rabbiTime February 5, 2013 at 12:39 PM

a true inspiration to all of us americans.football is fun to play and also enjoyable to watch . however , the after feeling is what counts. those that learnt that night have that good feeling of knowing what they did was amazing.that night will be embedded in the minds of all those tzon kedoshim.i dont even want to describe a bbq and big screen viewing in an orthodox shul in our community with the rabbi in attendance.(no daf yomi shiur at half time either ) baltimore kehila has it right. im calling to be a sponsor ! ashraichem !

18. Comment from AnonymousTime February 5, 2013 at 2:46 PM

Hate to be a bubble breaker. Avos Ubanim is a marvelous trend and it works. Making the Super Bowl a sin is ridiculous. Kids (and adults) can get hyped about something like sports.

19. Comment from AnonymousTime February 6, 2013 at 1:22 AM

Comment 18 is correct. We do not need to corrupt our own future by claiming corruption of the usefulness of the betterment of society through sports.